New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) India captain Shubman Gill’s spectacular run with the bat has earned him a nomination for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for June, the game’s governing body announced on Monday.

For the monthly honour, Gill faces competition from Bangladesh all-rounder Mossadek Hossain and New Zealand fast bowler Nathan Smith, who have also been shortlisted following their standout performances.

Gill was in sublime form during India’s home assignment against Afghanistan, leading from the front in both Test and ODI formats. The elegant right-hander kickstarted the month with a commanding 126 in India’s innings victory in the one-off Test in New Chandigarh. The knock marked his 11th Test century, punctuated by 15 boundaries and a six.

Gill carried his red-hot form into the subsequent ODI series, where he amassed a staggering 238 runs in just two innings. After a brisk 66-ball 84 in the opening ODI in Dharamshala, Gill smashed a magnificent 154 off 110 balls in Lucknow.

Despite battling severe cramps during the innings, he accelerated brilliantly to anchor India’s victory, ultimately walking away with both the Player of the Match and Player of the Series accolades, as the hosts completed a 3-0 sweep with a win in Chennai.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Hossain made a fairytale return to international cricket after a four-year hiatus. The all-rounder was named Player of the Series in Bangladesh’s historic 2-1 ODI series triumph over Australia.

In the opening game, Mossadek slammed an unbeaten 86, picked up two wickets, and took a stellar catch to script only Bangladesh’s second-ever ODI win over Australia. He finished as his team’s top scorer with 157 runs.

On the other hand, Smith was rewarded for spearheading a depleted Kiwi pace bowling attack to clinch a memorable 2-1 Test series win in England. Smith finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 16 scalps, including a sensational 6-70 at Lord’s, and earned the Player of the Series award.

–IANS

nr/